Where Are You Really From? A Reflection on Belonging, Identity, and the Power of Our Accent

"Where are you really from?” It sounds like an innocent question, but for many of us who have lived between cultures, countries, and identities, it carries layers of history, assumption, and longing.

I was born in Canada to two Colombian parents, and throughout my life I was often told I didn’t “look” Canadian. Some insisted I must be from “somewhere else,” others said I looked “too exotic,” and many carried stereotypes or misguided beliefs about Colombia.

Now, after leaving Canada at 49 and becoming an immigrant to Colombia, I find myself hearing a different version of the same question. This time, it’s my accent that marks me as “not from here.” Recently, someone even suggested that speaking about my Canadian experience meant I wasn’t fully assimilating.

But after living more than four decades in Canada—building my worldview, leadership context, and cultural foundation there—of course my stories come from that place. This isn’t resistance. It’s simply truth. Context doesn’t disappear.

The Immigrant Experience: The Courage Behind the Accent

Accents carry entire histories. They reveal where we learned to speak, love, think, and express ourselves.

If you’ve ever rebuilt your life in a new country, you understand the courage behind an accent:

• learning a new language

• navigating new norms

• integrating into another culture

• adapting to a new worldview

• letting go of familiarity

• starting again

Your accent is not a problem to fix. Your accent is proof that you were brave enough to begin again.

What Shapes Us Is Not Meant to Be Lost

Assimilating doesn’t mean abandoning who we are. Our roots, cultures, and early influences give us:

• values

• resilience

• perspectives

• unique solutions

• global wisdom

These are gifts — not barriers.

Our origins allow us to enrich workplaces, communities, and relationships with diversity, creativity, and empathy.

So the question isn’t “Where are you really from?” The real question is:

Why does belonging still feel conditional for so many of us?

Why That Question Stings More Than We Admit

Every human being longs to belong — to feel seen, included, and accepted. When someone questions your appearance or accent, it touches the part of you that remembers every moment you were left out.

But here is the truth:

You belong simply because you exist. Not because you fit in perfectly. Not because you erase parts of yourself. Not because you meet someone’s idea of what you “should” sound like.

You belong because your story is needed somewhere.

We Are, All of Us, From More Than One Place

During the pandemic I took a DNA test that showed a blend of ancestry: Spanish, Portuguese, African, Italian, Jewish influences, and more. Layered. Complex. Beautifully interconnected.

So when someone asks, “Where are you really from?” the most honest answer might be:

We are all from the same place — this Earth.

Borders and identities are human constructs. Our belonging is not.

A Call for Conscious Belonging

Whether at work, at home, or in community spaces, each of us has the power to create environments where others feel welcomed rather than questioned.

Belonging is one of the greatest gifts we can offer.

So the next time you encounter someone whose identity differs from yours, consider offering:

Curiosity. Openness. Respect. Welcome.

You might become part of the circle where they finally feel at home.

To Those Navigating Their Own Transition

If this message resonates, I see you. I support individuals navigating cultural transitions, identity shifts, belonging wounds, and the desire to feel grounded in who they are — wherever they are.

Your story carries strength. And you don’t have to walk this chapter alone.

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